Suggested 7-day Itinerary for Vietnam and Cambodia

So I’m finally starting on the Vietnam/Cambodia blogs.  I initially planned to create the suggested itinerary and budget estimate towards the tail end of the series but since I’m slowly beginning to forget details of the trip, I figured I’d do these two first before I forget a lot more.

My trip actually took 9 calendar days from start to finish, but it’s the 7 full days in the middle of it that involves the most activities.  This is just a suggested itinerary.  I intend to create a more comprehensive travel guide in the future with which you can cross-reference when reading this entry.

“Nakatulong ka na, nakagala ka pa.”, part 3

One plank and two beached whales. (Photo courtesy of Ivan De Castro)

Lying down in a small tent without a makeshift pillow and with very little cushioning was quite uncomfortable, and I don’t think I would have been able to sleep if I wasn’t tired from the previous days activities.  I woke up ahead of all the others with a very painful back, making the act of sitting up excruciatingly painful.  I afterwards spent some time just soaking up the pre-dawn silence before the next person awoke.

Preview: Temple-hunting in Cambodia

The last preview was 2 scenes of Vietnam.  This time, I’m showing a preview of Cambodia.  I took this video when we encountered the first few temples (or prasat) in Koh Ker in the Preah Vihear Province, around 2-3 hours away from Siem Reap.

Encountering the first few Prasats in Koh Ker from Liquid Druid on Vimeo.

“Nakatulong ka na, nakagala ka pa.”, part 2

The gift-giving activity only lasted until mid-morning.  After exchanging farewell pleasantries with some of the older scholars, we then prepared for the climb.  The skies looked like it was going to rain soon, so it was settled that we would not go camping at Mt. Malindig.  Instead we would just spend the night at the foundation’s premises later, once we’ve descended the mountain.

“Nakatulong ka na, nakagala ka pa.”, part 1

Returning to Marinduque wasn’t really in my plans for 2011, even though I thoroughly enjoyed my visit during the Holy Week of 2010 (Moriones and all.)  What made me accept the invitation of my friend Madz Crisostomo to return to Marinduque is the prospect of doing some charity activity while traveling.  This is something that I’ve never done before, but which I was very much interested in doing.

New background and layout

So changed the layout by moving the sidebar to the left, and I also changed the color scheme to be predominantly white.  Do you like it better this way or should I revert to the original format?  Do tell me what you think.  Thanks!

Preview: Contrasting Motorcycle Scenes in Vietnam

Since I still have to blog about another local trip, I thought I’d give a preview of my first international solo travel when I went to Vietnam and Cambodia (November 26 to December 4, 2011.)  The following clips are contrasting scenes involving motorcycles in Vietnam.

Motorcycle Madness in Saigon from Liquid Druid on Vimeo.

Try crossing the street through that!

A Heritage Tour of Butuan

(photo courtesy of Gwen Librodo)

Butuan has gotten a raw deal from our group.  We’ve used it as a home base of sorts, having gone to this city 3 times in the past 5 days of our northeastern Mindanao swing, yet we’ve never really treated it as more than a jump-off point going to other destinations.  On the penultimate day of our tour, we decided to at least give Butuan the attention and appreciation it deserves.

Looking for Travel Buddies

(photo courtesy of Gwen Librodo)

I’m planning an exploratory trip to Carles in Northern Iloilo to visit the Higantes Islands and other nearby islands.  I will most probably do this on March 23-26, 2012.  (The date can change a bit as long as it includes the March 24-25 weekend.)  I can travel alone but I was hoping I could cut costs by inviting others to join me.

Just so you know what to see there, here’s what fellow bloggers have written about Carles:

A Paradise Called Carles

Higantes Group of Islands / Islas de Gigantes, Carles, Northern Iloilo

To set expectations, this will mostly be a backpacking trip.  The tourism industry in Carles is underdeveloped and there are certainly no first class accommodations.  Your sense of adventure should be a bit on the rough side.

Slideshow: Mt. Pulag (2010)

Since my friends Fung and Teri posted photos of their recent Mt. Pulag climbs, this got me a bit envious because I’ve always planned on making a return climb to that mountain and once again conquering its summit.  It’s one of the most exhilarating experiences one can have that’s quite doable and accessible even for non-mountaineers.  Here are photos of my climb last May 22-23, 2010.

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